wittick



Sept. 6, 1932. W|TT|QK 1,876,380

GROOVE CUTTING MACHINE Filed May 20, 1930 7 56 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR I ZZMfl h i iaicir A TTORNEYS.

.. in Fig. 1.

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 1 UNITED [STATES RALPH 'A. wrr'rrcx, or vnos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA enoovn-ourrme MACHINE Application filed May 20, 1930. Serial no. 453,963.

My invention relates to groove-cutting ma-v chines and more particularly to a motordriven machine for cutting grooves in conflit-Eta or terrazzo floors, pavements and the The primary objectof my invention'is. to provide a motor-driven machine which can be used to cut grooves rapidly and accurately in concrete floors and pavements so as to give them the appearance of having been constructed of blocks or flagstones.

A further object is to provide a groovecutting machine for general use which has reversible parts whereby it may be adapted for right hand or left hand operation so that it may be made to work in opposite directions and on all parts, of any, open or restricted area.

Still another object is to provide a groovecutting machine that can be adjusted to use a cutting wheel of any diameter,-,and to provide a machine that will cut grooves close to side walls and corners. i

Other objects and advantages will'appear hereinafter as the details of theinvention are described. I I

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a front-side view of my grooving machine. f r

Fig. 2 is a front-end view of the machine arranged for right hand operation as shown Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary sectional view, somewhat enlarged, showing details of, construction, the section being taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 through the front side only of the frame.

Fig. 4 is a sectional. view, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, showingdetails of the regulating lever. 1 c 1 i Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the fan and r fan casing which form a part of my invention, thesection Fig. 2.

Considered more in detail the drawing will be seen to show my grooving machine as comprising a lowframe 10, preferably made being taken on. line 5-5 of of-angle-iron and having a pair'of longer legs 11 equipped with relatively small adjustable castors 12, on its front side, and a pair of shorter legs 13 equipped with 'rela tively large castors 14 on its rear side, said frame being adapted to carry a reversible electric motor 15 together with the necessary accessories whereby it may be controlled. These accessories include a conduit box'16 V equipped with a power socket 17 adapted for connection with the plug 18 of an electric cord and a conduit box 19 having a suitable control switch 20 mounted thereon, said conduit boxes 16 and 19 being connected by a from the front side of the legs adjacent the lower ends thereof, said wheels being in exact alignment with each other so that they are adapted to run on a rail. The rail is preferably formed of relatively wide strips of heavy sheet metal 25, bent'longitudinally so as to form a fold or-bead 26 in the middle thereof which fits into the grooves of wheels 23, as'is' clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

v The rail is provided with a wide bearing surface which rests upon the floor,"and owing to said rail being provided along its midwidth with the upstanding fold or bend'26,

said rail is particularlywell adapted to cooperate with'the groovedtrack wheels 23.

An arm 27 having ia'bearing 28 on its upper end through which apivot bolt'29'extends axially into the front end of the motor shaft 30 and a bearing 31 on its lower end, 7

in which a stub-shaft 32 turns, is attached by said pivot bolt 29 to the motor shaft which is extended sufficiently to provide space for fixing a double grooved pulley 33 thereon between said arm bearing 28 and the front bear- 'ing of-the motor.

A double grooved'pulley 34, of somewhat smaller diameter than'said pulley 33, is fixed on the rear end of stub shaft 32 in alignment with said pulley 33, and a'pair of thick. belts ii 27 inc. vertical ala'ne at ri ht an- 'les to the motor shaft, a pair of parallel guide-bars 36 suitably spaced to permit said arm to work between the ends thereof, are provided, said guide bars being supported in properly spaced relation to frame 10 by the two studs 37 fixed in a bar 38 which is fastened to the front side of legs 11 of the frame as shown in Fig. 3. Guide-bars 36 are bent in the middle and are supported adjacent their middle points so that their free ends form two oppositely directed guide sections adapted to accommodate arm 27 in its movement through equal angles in either of its twoepositions.

An emery or a carborundum wheel 39, of suitable thickness to cut a groove of the de sired width, is fi -zed on the front end of stubshaft 32 in the usual way, the upper edge of said wheel being covered by a guard 40 which is supported by a bracket 41, attached to arm 27, so as to protect the operator of the machine from flying particles and against accidental contact with the wheel. A fan 42 is attached to wheel 39 which has a suitable casing 43 sup-ported on the rear side thereof in which the fan runs, said casing having an opening 44 in the under side thereof which directs the air current produced by the fan toward the point at which the cutting action of the wheel is taking place. i

A lever 45 adapted to hold arm 27 at a suitable working angle and thus to controlthe cutting depth of wheel 39, has a forked hearing 46, on its lower endwhich is adapted to turn on reduced portions 37 of studs 37. Said lever 45 is connected to arm 27 by a bar 47 having one: of its ends attached to a pivot bolt 48 fixed in arm 27 somewhat below its middle point- Oppositely disposed notches 49 adapted to engage a pin 50 which extends through lever 45 and projects from opposite sides thereof, are cut in the edges of connecting-bar 47 adjacent its free end- It will be seen that this construction provides for changing the position of lever 45 from either of studs 37 to the other when the position of arm 27v is reversed and for adjusting connecting-bar 47 between them. after such changes have been made.

A bar 51 having holes 52 adiacent either end thereof is attached to the front end of motor 15 above its shaft and a heliealsp-ring 53,, onev end of which is attached to a hook 54 fixed. in lever 45 has its other end hooked into one of said holes 52, said spring being.

"side'the'reof. Said push-bar 55 is provided with an adjustable raek58which is held in close proximity to lever 45- in a plane parallel to that in which the lever moves and said lever is provided with a spring-controlled pawl 59 adapted to engage said rack 58, whether the latter is on one side or the other of the lever, as. when in the position shown. in Fig. 1 or when in the reversed position indicated by dotted lines. 7 The purpose of rack 58 and. pawl 59, it will be seen, is to hold lever 45, against the tensionof spring 53, in a fixed position so that wheel 39 will cut in a groove of uniform depth after proper adjustment for that depth has been made.

Obviously when upright bar 55' is transferred to the other socket for reversed operation, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the angular position of rack58 must be changed. The rack being held by aelainping bolt 60 which is fixed therein and which eX- 1 tends through a fixture 61 on bar 55, this can be done by loosening nut 62 on bolt '60, turning the rack and bolt in fixture 61 to the proper new position and re-tightening nut '62. 7

Adjustable casters 12 are fixed inlegs 11 so that. they may be lifted clear of the surface upon which the machine is movingwhen wheels 33 are in engagement with rail 26 or may be forced downwardly upon said sur- 1 face seas to raise the front side of the machine sufliciently to lift wheels 23 off of the railQ They thus serve to carry the front side ozf'the machine when it is not in position for operation.

' Such adjustab ility is secured providing casters 12- with relatively long shanks 63 which extend through relatively short sleeves 64 attached to legs 11 so that the shanks are turnable and also movable vertically in-the i1.

sleeves The upper ends of said shanks have slightly rounded heads 65 formed thereonbetweenwhich and said sleeves compressed helical springs 66 are mounted so as normalto hold thecastors in their lifted position. i.

hams 6%,in contact with said shank heads 65, are fixed adjacent the ends of a sleeve 63 which extends between legs 11 and is turnable on a bolt 69 passed therethrough and having its endsfixed in legs 11. Lever arms force castors 12 down upon the floor surface so as to lift and carry the front side of the machine. The cams are so fixed in relation to levers that castors 12 are maintained in their lifting position, free from interference with the levers, until the latter are manually returned to their upper position as shown.

The machine is placed in position for operation after the groove lines have been marked off on the surface upon which it is to be used.

The rail is then. laid parallel to the groove line upon which work is to begin and the machine is wheeled into position thereover and its front side lowered as described above, so that its weight rests on the rail. The necessary electrical connections having been made, current is then turned on through switch 20, lever 45 is adjusted for the proper cutting depth and the machine is shoved along on the rail by push-bar 55. As wheel 39 operates to cut the groove, fan 42, turning there with, operates to blow out of its way dust and small particles which might interfere with its action and thus reduce its efliciency and also to keep the groove line so clear of dust as always to be plainly visible.

The reversible feature of the machine makes itpossible for the operator to extend the grooves close to all corner portions of a room.

It also adaptsthe machine for both right hand or left hand use in an efficient manner.

Claims: 1. A reversible groove-cutting machine comprising a frame having a pair of longer legs equipped with adjustable castors on its front side and a pair of shorter legs equipped with non-adjustable castors on its rear side; grooved wheels adapted to run on a rail attached to said longer legs; a motor mounted on said frame so that its shaft extends horizontally in transverse relation thereto; an arm having one end pivotally attached to the shaft of said motor and the other extending obliquely downward therefrom so that its free end may be swung about the axis thereof; a stub-shaft j ournaled in said arm, adjacent the free end thereof and in parallel relation to the shaft of said motor; aligned pulleys fixed on the motor shaft and on one end of said stub-shaft; a pair of belts running over said pulleys; a carborundum wheel fixed on the other end of said stub-shaft; a fan attached to said wheel; guide-bars attached to the front side of said frame, in spaced relation thereto, said guide-bars being adapted to maintain said arm in a vertical plane at right angles to the shaft of said motor in either of its two positions; a reversible lever connected to said arm so that the angular position of change or'fix the angular position of saidarm v j the latter maybe changed or fixed thereby, and apush-bar attachable to either end of said frame, whereby it may be shoved along on a rail. c 1 2. In a groove-cutting machlne of the char acter described, a pivoted arm which may be swung from one end to the other of the machine, a cutting. disc mounted inthe free end .of said armto operate in either of its two positions; guide bars adapted to maintain said arm in a vertical plane at'right angles to theaxls of ts pivot 1n elther of its two positions, and a reversible lever adapted to at either end of the machine. 7

3. A reversible groove-cutting machine comprising a frame having a pair of longer legs equipped with adjustable wheel supports on its front side and a pair of shorter legs on its rear side which are equipped with wheels, a rail to guide the wheels which are carried by said pair of longer legs, a motor mounted on said frame sot-hat its shaftextends horizontally in transverse relation thereto; an arm having one end pivotally attached to the shaft of said motor and the other extending obliquely downward therefrom so that its free end may be swung about the axis thereof; a stub-shaft j ournaled in said arm, adjacent the free end thereof and in parallel. relation to the shaft of said motor; aligned pulleys fixed on the motor shaft and on one end of said stubshaft; belting running over said pulleys; a grooving wheel fixed on the other end of said stub-shaft; guide barsattached to the front" side of said frame in spaced relation thereto, said guide bars being adapted to maintain said arm in a vertical plane at right angles to the shaft of said motor, in either of its two positions; a reversible lever connected to said 7 arm so that the angular position of the latter may be changed or fixed thereby; and means to propell the machine with the track wheels thereof in engagement with said rail.

4. In a groove cutting machine of the 7 character described, a pivoted arm swingable from one end to the other of the machine, a cutting disc mounted in the free end of said arm to operate in either of two posi-= tions, means to maintain said arm in a substantially vertical plane at right angles to the axis of its pivot in either of its two positions, a connecting bar pivotally attached to said arm at a distance from the pivot thereof, and a. reversible lever having a detachable connection with said connecting bar thereby adapting said lever to fix the angular operative position of said arm when the latter is directed toward either end of the machine.

5. In a groove cutting machine of the character described, a pivoted arm swingable from one end to the other of the machine, a cutting disc mounted in the free end of said arm to operate in either of two pothe machine, said connecting bar having sitions means to maintain said arm ina substantially vertical plane at right angles to the axis of its pivot in either of its two p'ositions, a connecting bar pivotally attached to said arm at a distance from the pivot thereof, and a reversible lever having a detachable connection with said connecting bar thereby adapting said lever to fix the angular operative position of said arm when the latter is directed toward either end of notches cut into opposite edgesthereof to afford a detachable operating connection of said reversible lever therewith in either of the reverse positions thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

RALPH A. WITTICK.

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